I have the XL4 and just got the Mini for my other bedroom (office). I m returning my cable DVR and have an old Series 1 in that room which is being retired. So I got the Mini since I don't need to record in that room.

I figured I could hook it up and at least access the XL4 TiVo recordings until I get the subscription. I called TiVo support and they said that it won't work unless I pay for the monthly/lifetime service.
a
I was wondering if that is the case, or can the Mini be used kind of like a transfer device to view pre recorded shows on the TV it's connected to.

I plan on getting the lifetime service in a couple of months, but for now, I wanted to see if the Mini would work for viewing recordings only until then.